Hawaii Senate passes civil unions bill, joins 5 states

HONOLULU - The Hawaii Senate approved same-sex civil unions
Friday, potentially setting up the measure for final passage as
soon as next week.

The Senate passed the bill on an 18-7 vote, moving it to the
House and signaling that the Senate’s Democratic majority has
enough votes to override a possible veto from Republican Gov. Linda
Lingle.

The House has yet to decide if it will vote on the bill. House
leaders say they will take up the bill if they have a veto-proof
two-thirds majority but may let it die if they have only a small
majority.

“It’s very close,” said Democratic Speaker of the House Calvin
Say. “During an election year, this issue is so divisive that it
may hurt many of our members.”

The bill would grant gay and straight couples the same rights
and benefits the state provides to married couples.

Five other states - Colorado, Wisconsin, Maryland, Maine and New
Jersey - allow civil unions. Five states - Iowa, Vermont, New
Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut - permit same-sex
marriage.

“I’m very happy. It’s not marriage, but it gives us an
opportunity to be recognized as a couple,” Carlos Quintana of
Honolulu said.

The vote follows a rally at the Capitol last weekend attended by
thousands of people supporting traditional marriage between a man
and a woman. Protesters urged lawmakers to vote down civil unions
and promised repercussions during this year’s elections to those
who didn’t.